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Repairs Ordered at Windermere

The owners of an apartment building where the actor Steve McQueen once lived must repair the decrepit landmark, a judge ruled on Friday.

Justice Karen Smith of State Supreme Court ordered “the permanent repair and restoration” of the 127-year-old Windermere building. It has been vacant since September, when the Fire Department found it to be unsafe and told tenants to leave. City inspectors have said the walls, floors and roof are collapsing.

A lawyer for the building’s owners, which include the Toa Construction Company of Japan, did not immediately return a telephone call on Friday night.

“The Windermere is an invaluable part of the city’s heritage and now will remain so for future generations,” said Robert B. Tierney, the chairman of the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission.

The commission and the city sued in March to try to force repairs at the Windermere, one of the city’s oldest large apartment houses. The Romanesque Revival structure on Manhattan’s West Side was built to accommodate the city’s growing middle class in the late 19th century, but it eventually became popular with people working in the arts.

The landmarks commission gave the building landmark status in 2005. City laws require owners of landmark buildings to keep them in good repair.

The judge ordered the Windermere’s owners to let city officials assess the building and delineate what needs fixing. Then the owners must make repairs and keep the building in good condition, Justice Smith said.

Mr. McQueen starred in movie classics including “The Great Escape” and “Bullitt.”